Citroen has cut the price of the C-Zero EV and confirmed that an electric Berlingo van will go on sale in early 2013. The C-Zero’s down to £26,216 on-the-road, not counting the £5000 government Plug-In Car Grant, which brings it down to £21,216. New contract-hire rates start from £249 a month over three years/30,000 miles. Citroen is also expanding its specialist network of EV dealers from 11 to 21 specially-trained sales outlets, with about 100 of its dealerships to be trained to service, repair and maintain the C-Zero, the DS5 Hybrid4 and other future electrified Citroens.

Peugeot’s doing the same for the iOn, sister model to the C-Zero (and Mitsubishi i-MiEV) – identical new pricing and contract-hire rates, but 23 EV sales and service locations. Electric Partner van on the way, too.

In other news today:

The city of Oslo is opening a new thermal hydrolysis plant processing food waste; this will produce enough biogas to power 135 buses. 65 buses are already running on biogas from the city’s sewage plant. Essentially, the factory will boil up all the food waste collected by citizens and put out for recycling; the byproduct of the gas extraction is an organic sludge, which will be supplied as fertilizer to 100 local farms. More (in English) at Forkningsradet.

That US West Coast road trip in an EV is on its way to becoming a reality: the first phase of the West Coast Electric Highway has opened on the I5 in Oregon. There’ll be fast-chargers – giving a full charge in about 30 minutes – at 25-mile intervals through the state, eventually linking Canada (Vancouver) to the Mexican border at San Diego, California. AeroVironment has installed charging stations (one fast-charger, one conventional in each) in Cottage Grove, Rice Hill, Roseburg, Canyonville, Wolf Creek, Grants Pass, Central Point and Ashland, and will put in 40 more for Oregon and Washington. Press release, more details posted at Autoblog Green.

So, this privatised road-pricing thing… Knee-jerk reaction from DTF: tolls, pay-as-you-go road-pricing not necessarily a bad thing (if priced/taxed fairly, and IF feasible/affordable public transport alternatives are available), but selling off Britain’s roads? On the evidence of the railways, no, no and no again. And as someone quicker than myself has pointed out on Twitter this morning, all this detracts attention very nicely from the government’s plans for the NHS (RIP). Can’t wait for the Budget (teeth gritted in anticipation).

Interview with Phillipe Starck about the V+ Volteis at the WSJ: inspired by the 2CV, it’ll be sold at 15 outlets in France as a runaround. Yes, it is basically an electric golf cart, but as the esteemed @bobbyllew tweeted this morning: “Okay, accepted it’s a glorified and very expensive golf cart for use in sunny climes, but I like the simplicity and lack of ‘carness’.” Seconded. These things have their place, even if that is only in the South of France or for use as resort vehicles. Think of it as a modern-day Mehari.